Reid's Miracle
by Ann Parker
Summary: Gideon asks someone from his past to help Reid deal with the fallout from Revelations. ReidCenteredFic. ReidNew Character. Spoilers: Revelations and Fear and Loathing COMPLETE!
1. The Watching Eyes

Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. It is the property of Mark R. Gordon and CBS.

Note: This is my first attempt at a Criminal Minds fanfic, and the first piece of fan fiction I've written in a couple of years. Any feedback on the characters (particularly how realistic they seem) and the story would be greatly appreciated.

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**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter One: The Watching Eyes

By Ann Parker

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Simone Weil once said, "The capacity to give one's attention to a sufferer is a very rare and difficult thing; it is almost a miracle; it is a miracle."

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As he exited the elevator, Reid wondered if anyone would notice. It was his first day back since those two horrendous days in that cabin in Georgia. He had been ordered to take a few days off to recover, although he knew in his mind that he had actually gotten worse. He had tried to stop himself, but the pull of Dilaudid – his present from Tibias – was just too strong. A part of him didn't want the team to figure it out; he didn't want them to see him as weak. Another part of him wanted their help. Why had he grabbed those two little vials? Why couldn't have just walked away?

"Hey Reid, my man, how are you feeling?" Morgan's greeting snapped him out his train of thought and he attempted to smile at the man he had begun to think of as a brother.

"Still a little sore, but nothing I can't handle. Had any new cases while I was gone?" he asked while they walked to their desks. Reid set his book bag down on his desk.

Morgan shook his head, "no, it's actually been quiet since we came back. The killers must be taking a holiday."

"Either that or they wanted our resident genius to track them down," replied JJ as she walked up to the boys with her cup of coffee. "Good to have you back, Reid," she said smiling at him as she propped up against Morgan's desk.

"Thanks, JJ. How have you been doing?" Reid asked.

JJ slightly looked down at her coffee, "I'm okay. I'm just glad that you are." Reid attempted to offer her a sad smile. He had forgotten what she had gone through; Hotch had told him during their flight back to the BAU when he was discharged from the hospital. JJ slightly smiled back before heading to her desk. Reid spun in his chair and turned on his computer, unaware of two sets of eyes in the distance watching his every move.

"Do you think he's using it?" Hotch asked Gideon. While Reid had been checked out at the hospital, the doctor's informed both of them about the presence of the drug in his system. Gideon immediately realized why the young man had gone back to the corpse of his capturer. What he didn't know was if he intending on using it or just didn't want them to know about it. So after much discussion, they decided to not press him on the issue, at least not for now. He had been through enough; the third degree wasn't the right course of action at the moment.

"I can't tell. No doubt, he's smart enough to hide it well. At least for now. He won't be able to hide it too long, but I'm not comfortable with waiting for that to happen," replied the older man.

"What do you suggest we do? I don't want to push him," replied Hotch. He was still trying to bury his guilt for sending JJ and Reid to that house in the first place. He'd be damned if he let that psycho continue to hurt his team, particularly their youngest member.

"I don't think we should talk to him at all, actually." Gideon immediately raised his hand when Hotch opened his mouth to protest. "I don't think he is going to want to talk to any of us about it. We both know that Reid doesn't like to talk about his personal life that much. That's why he brings up random facts in conversations."

"Then what do you want to do? We can't let him self destruct," countered Hotch, not really sure where the older man next to him was going with this.

"I might know someone that can get him to open up. Someone that at the same time can probably tell if he's using the drugs," stated Gideon, walking back into his office. He reached for his address book and flipped it open.

"Are you talking about a shrink? We both know that he'd be able to lie through any session if he wanted to," Hotch stated as he sat down in one of the chairs across from Gideon's desk.

"God no. He's going to have to do that for the Bureau before being cleared for the field again, I don't want him to have anymore of that then he's required to. No, this person someone I've known…wow, at least five years now. She's actually a former victim of a case I had before any of you got here. She went through something…similar. Ah, there's her new number!" Hotch just stared at Gideon.

"Wait, how is she supposed to help Reid?"

"She's really close to his age, closer than any of us, and I think she might be able to get him to come out of his shell a little. Plus, since she has experience with Dilaudid, she'll be much more in tune with his behavior and can tell us of his using it." Gideon reached for his phone before looking back up at Hotch, who still had a slightly skeptical look on his face. "Just trust me on this. Besides, the worse thing that can happen is that she can't help us. She certainly won't hurt the situation." Hotch stood up as Gideon called this woman and looked back out at his youngest team member.

"I sure hope you're right Gideon," he said to himself. "I sure hope you're right."

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	2. Gideon's Vistior

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Two: Gideon's Visitor

By Ann Parker

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Alphonse de Lamartine once said, "Grief knits two hearts in closer bonds than happiness ever can; and common sufferings are far stronger links than common joys."

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She adjusted her visitor's badge for the third time before the elevator doors opened to her designated floor. Taking a deep breath, she stepped off. The call from Jason had come as a complete shock. They had kept in contact over their years, but it was usually just emails. Until December, she had been busy with college and he was always hopping from city to the next saving lives. Like he had done for her those years ago. Twice actually.

Pushing those thoughts from her head for a moment, she continued to approach an open area of desks with several people sitting at them. Two men and two women. If she had to guess based off of Jason's description of his team the well-build man on the right was Morgan, the blond in front of him was JJ, and the other woman was the newest member, but she couldn't remember her name. The other man, tall and thin, with brown hair hanging down in his face, must be the infamous Dr. Spencer Reid. Jason often talked of him in their emails, and she could tell he cared deeply for the young man, perhaps just a little bit more than the rest. 'He's as good as any to ask,' she thought to herself as she approached his desk.

Reid stopped absentmindedly scratching his arm and looked up from the file he was pretending to be reading to see a beautiful woman with long chestnut hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen walking towards him. 'This can't be right,' he thought as she stopped at the edge of his desk.

"Excuse me, but could you direct me to Jason Gideon's office?" she asked with a smile. The brightest smile he had ever seen.

"Sarah?" Gideon's voice came from behind him. She briefly glanced in that direction before looking back at him.

"Oops, never mind. I guess he found me," she smiled once more before walking away and towards Gideon's office. He watched as Gideon briefly took her into an embrace before walking her back into his office. He didn't even notice Morgan suddenly appear next him.

"Who was that? I don't think Gideon has had many people visit him at the office," stated Morgan.

Reid looked up, hiding his jump from Morgan sneaking up like that, "Never actually."

Hotchner walked up to the group, knowing that was his cue if this plan was to work. "She's someone he's known for a few years and she's interested in working for the BAU at some point. I think he said something about showing her around since we appear to have down time at the moment, although who knows how long that will last." He watched as Reid nodded at his answer, still looking at Gideon's closed door. This at least appeared promising.

Behind that door, Sarah Riverson sat in front of the man who changed her life, stunned at what she had just heard. "Oh my god…" was all she could mutter at first. How could the man she had just approached have gone through that and hardly show any sign of it?

"I'm afraid there's more Sarah. It's actually the reason I called you," Gideon continued. Sarah focused her thoughts and looked back into his eyes. He didn't say anything, but by the look she knew what it was.

"Drugs?" she asked. He nodded. When he didn't say the name immediately, she felt a shiver go down her spine. This was why he called. "It was Dilaudid, wasn't it?"

"Yes. We learned at the hospital that he was injected several times with it. I am also fairly positive he stole the remnants at the scene," he replied. He watched as this now young woman for a moment almost reverted back to the young teenager in the hospital bed he had visited those years ago. He heard her sigh.

"What can I do?" she asked, causing a smile to creep across his face.

"Just talk to him, get to know him. I don't think he'll dare open up to anyone in the team about what happened, let alone admit to using the drugs. But I just have this feeling that he will to you," he replied.

"Plus I can tell you if he's going though any withdrawal symptoms or side effects, since I was there once," she finished his thought. He nodded. "What makes you think he will open up to me?"

Gideon paused, contemplating on how to phrase this response. "Because your kindred spirits." He laughed as she raised an eyebrow at him. "I just do, don't ask me to elaborate."

Shaking her head, she replied, "Fine, fine. I trust you enough to accept that reason…for now."

Gideon smiled and rose from his seat, "Great! Now shall I introduce you to my team?" he asked as he offered her his hand. She accepted it and stood to follow him out of his office.

"Yes, yes I am," she replied. She walked with him out of the office and headed back to those desks wondering just what she had gotten herself into.

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	3. Tour Guide

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Three: Tour Guide

By Ann Parker

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Blaise Pascal once said, "The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of."

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Reid rubbed his eyes with his hand, trying to clear his vision. While waiting for Gideon to come out of his office, his vision had gotten a little blurry. He had a good feeling of why, but chose to ignore the thought. Just then he looked up to see Gideon and the mystery woman named Sarah had emerged from his office and were headed his direction.

"I guess we are actually going to get to meet her," commented Prentiss, although Reid hardly heard her. Why did he feel drawn to this woman? Sure, she was attractive, but had met other attractive women before and never felt like this. Were the drugs affecting this too? He hugged himself slightly, feeling a small shiver.

Sarah and Gideon had almost reached his team when she noticed Reid shiver ever so slightly. She had seen him rub his eyes when they exited the office too. Neither were positive signs, but they also didn't confirm he was still using. The problem with Dilaudid was that the side effects and withdrawal symptoms were almost the same. It took her almost two weeks for the withdrawal symptoms to subside, so it was hard to gauge where Reid was on the spectrum.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet someone," stated Gideon and the team gathered around the area between Reid's and Morgan's desks. "This is Sarah Riverson, she's a young woman I've known for…"

"Five years, two months, and seven days," Sarah finished and immediately regretted. If that wasn't a dead giveaway as to how Gideon knew her. Surely the profilers knew that most, if not all, victims of crime know exactly how long it's been since their lives were changed forever. Thankfully, Gideon continued before someone could say anything.

"Right, thank you, five years. She just graduated from the University of Virginia this last semester with degrees in Psychology and Criminology. She's interested in working for the BAU at some point so I thought I'd give her a glimpse into our lives here," Gideon stated. As Gideon began to introduce her to each member of the team, minus Garcia who was still in her own office, Reid studied her. Reciting exactly how long she had known Gideon lead him to believe she was a victim from an old case, however she seemed to have bounced back from it rather well. Yet he could see the sadness in her eyes when she turned to him, although she hid it well. Just like he did.

"And this is Dr. Spencer Reid," Gideon stated, finishing the introductions. Sarah reached out her hand and Reid quickly, almost without thinking, took it in his to shake.

"Nice to meet you," he replied, not wanting to break eye contact, even though it felt like she could see into his soul.

"Actually, the pleasure is all mine," she replied with a smile, breaking the handshake. "I've heard quite a bit about you from Jason. Quite impressive."

"Really?" Reid was flattered that Gideon spoke of him, that he respected him that much. If only he knew how weak he really was.

"Yeah, everyone loves our young little genius," stated Morgan with a laugh, snapping both Sarah and Reid from their gaze. Sarah giggled slightly and looked down at her shoes while tucking some hair behind her ear. She shouldn't have said that, she probably just embarrassed him. But before she could think it over anymore, Gideon's cell phone rang. She watched as he looked down at the caller ID and looked back up at her.

"I need to take this," he stated and she nodded. That had to have been the saddest attempt to leave her with Reid. "Reid, do you think you could show her around? Maybe go introduce her to Garcia?" asked Gideon.

"Um, sure," Reid replied. He didn't mind the idea of getting to know this woman; something about her intrigued him. He didn't what exactly, but he wanted to find out. Gideon smiled and walked off to answer his phone, while she turned back to her new tour guide. At least Gideon didn't have to completely lie through his teeth. She did just graduate and wanted to work for the BAU, although she never had planned on asking for a tour or anything. Who gives tours to federal offices? Reid stood up from his chair, stumbling a bit, causing her to immediately place her hands on his arms to help him.

"Are you okay?" she asked as he leveled himself. Reid immediately noticed the concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, sorry. I hurt my foot pretty bad a few days ago," he replied and she nodded. "You can leave your bag here, if you want." She lifted her messenger bag that was hanging across her body and swung the strap around her head in one swift motion. Reid watched as she quickly set it down on his desk and lifted her hair with her fingers to swing it back out of her face. It was an ordinary thing, but Reid couldn't help but watch. Because of that he didn't notice as Gideon, Hotch, and the rest of the team watched him with a slight smile.

"Alright, all set," she stated and looked back up into his chocolate eyes. "Where to first?"

"Let's go introduce you to Garcia," he replied as he directed her away from the rest. Somehow he immediately felt at ease with her, which was a brand new feeling for him. He'd never felt that way around someone he just met, not even Gideon or Hotch. Were the drugs lowering his shield he used to protect himself? The shield that has been up ever since his dad walked out on his mother…on him.

"Oh, your resident goddess of knowledge, right?" she asked, snapping him back to the present. Reid couldn't help himself from laughing as they walked away. It was just loud enough for the rest to hear.

JJ and Prentiss looked at each and then at Morgan with smiles. Morgan shook his head and looked back at Hotch. "This was a set up, wasn't?"

"Quite possibly," Hotch replied, not wanting to give away the exact purpose of the set up. None of the rest of the team knew about the drugs. He glanced back at Gideon, who was watching the whole time by his office door. He had a slight smile on his face.

"I think this might just work," Gideon said to himself before walking back into his office.

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	4. Her Caring Eyes

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Four: Her Caring Eyes

By Ann Parker

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"Those true eyes, too pure and too honest in aught to disguise the sweet soul shining through them." - Owen Meredith

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Garcia had been more than willing to entertain the pair with her elite computer skills, which was a slight relief to Reid. He did want to get to know Sarah, but there was a part of him making him pull back. The addicted part. He could feel the need for another shot pulsing through his veins. He hadn't calculated how strong this pull was going to be. He figured he'd be able to hide this much longer. He needed to find a way to take care of this. Here he was on his first day back already planning on getting a quick fix. He really was weak—he couldn't even fight the drug for a few hours. Sarah's laughter temporarily pulled him from those thoughts. It was such a beautiful sound.

"Spencer, are you okay?" Reid suddenly noticed that both women were now starring at him. Which one spoke? Whoever it was used his first name, so probably Sarah. He looked at her, again noticing the worry in her aquamarine orbs. Why couldn't he stop looking into those eyes?

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm just going to run to the restroom for a minute. Are you okay here for a bit?" he replied. Sarah nodded and Reid quickly left the technology filled room. 'That was close, too close,' he thought as he made his way to the men's restroom. He checked to see if anyone else was there. Empty. Entering one of the stalls, he reached into his coat pocket. There they were. His needle and the two vials he took from Tobias. One was almost empty. Locking the door, he sat down on the cold tiled floor and prepared himself for another injection. How did this happen to him?

Back in Garcia's office, Sarah was now barely listening to the blond in front of the computer. She had seen that look in his eyes before, in her own eyes. He was also very sweaty and looked flush in the face. The last two could both still be withdrawal from several days with out use, but that look…

"Sorry to interrupt, but I feel like I should go check on him. He's been gone for a while now," she stated to Garcia.

Garcia frowned and Sarah guessed she had had the same kind of thought, "You're right, he has been gone awhile."

"Where's your restroom?" Sarah asked, already heading to the door. She had a very bad feeling about this.

"A few doors down on the right," Garcia replied, watching as Sarah was out the door almost before she finished talking. Sarah quickly found the door and swung it open. She didn't really care if someone else was in here, although she doubted there would be. She immediately saw Reid's feet and legs under one of the stalls.

"Spencer?" she asked. "Are you okay? You've been gone a long time," she rattled off as she tried to open the stall door. Locked, of course. The lack of response wasn't encouraging. Sighing, she quickly laid down on the floor, sliding on her back to stick her head under the bottom of the stall down. She immediately noticed the needle in his left hand, the plunger fully depressed with his thumb over the end, and the fresh puncture mark in his right arm. Both arms were lying limply on the floor.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," Reid was slipping in and out of consciousness and mumbling to himself. Sarah was able to grab the needle without poking herself and the vials from his other hand. She set them on the floor by the next stall and studied her surroundings. The door was locked, but she couldn't kick it in or she's smack him right in the face. He was laying in too awkward of a position to easily slide him under the door, even though he had a small enough frame. She checked his pulse--strong enough but she didn't think she had enough time to get help from the others. She needed to get him out of here now. It left her with only one choice. She took a deep breath and began to slide her body until her upper half was under the door and she could sit up. Trying not to grimace at the pain shooting down her left side, she reached for the doorknob and managed to move it just enough to unlock the door. Swinging it open, she continued to ignore her pain and quickly pulled Reid, who was still softly muttering, from the bathroom stall and through the entrance. She gently set him down and ran into Garcia's office.

"Call 911 now and get the others, Spencer's on the verge of an overdose," she ordered as the door swung open. Garcia blinked at her and opened her mouth, but Sarah stopped. "I don't have time to explain, just do it!" With that she ran back in Reid's direction, but went past him. She ran back into the bathroom to grab the drugs, carefully, for the paramedics and then went back to his side. When Gideon said he was worried this would happen, she doubted he thought it would be this soon. She hadn't even had time to gain his trust. Taking off her jacket, she rolled it up in a ball and placed his head on it, rolling him onto his side in the process, just in case. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered. His hand was burning hot, but he was slightly shaking. She pushed his hair out of his face and looked into his frightened eyes.

"It's okay, Spencer, everything is going to be okay," she said without looking away. In the distance she could hear the rest of the team running their direction. The paramedics appeared to be with them. "We're going to get you help, everything will be fine. I promise," she continued, offering a smile of comfort to the fragile man next to her. The last thing he saw were her eyes, her caring eyes, before everything went black.

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	5. Two Hours and 34 Minutes

Author's Note: Thanks for all the great reviews, I really appreciate them. I just wanted to state that I realize that some of these chapters are really short, but I stop them when I see a natural break. Don't worry, though, I'll probably be updating daily so you shouldn't have to wait long! Thanks again!

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**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Five: Two Hours and 34 Minutes

By Ann Parker

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"The world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it." - Helen Keller

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Reid winced at the sight of very bright lights shining through his eyelids. He could hear beeping machinery and a curtain being pulled across a metal pole in the background. There were tubes in his nose and he guessed in his arm too, but he couldn't tell for sure. He had to be in the hospital…again. But why this time? Raking his memory, he remembered walking into the men's room, filling the needle, and a pair of blue eyes. Sarah. She must have found him. She saved him even though she hardly knew him.

Now he heard soft mummers of voices. The team. They were all there, all starring at him, realizing how weak he was. He felt so bad for letting them down. Why couldn't he have been strong like Hotch or Morgan? More of his senses came back to him and he felt a warm hand holding his. Could it be?

"Sarah," he softly croaked, cracking his eyelids open at the same time.

"I'm here Spencer. You're going to be okay," her soft voice washed over him as he continued to flutter his eyes, adjusting to the light. Finally they settled on her face, her smile, her eyes. The last things he saw before everything went black.

"You…you saved my life," he whispered, his mouth very dry. Soon there was a cup perched at his lips, in her hand.

"Shh, don't talk. Now take a drink," she replied. He obeyed and let the cool water settle on his tongue. Wait, didn't he hear the others? Moving his head slightly, he saw his coworkers, his friends—no family, standing together at the end of the bed.

"Hey guys," he said, trying to smile to elevate the concern written on all of their faces. Or was it disappointment he saw? He wasn't sure.

"Hey, I said no talking," ordered Sarah. He looked back at her, "just trust me on this," she continued in a gentler tone. Reid nodded, believing her. Why, he wasn't entirely sure, but something in her gaze made him think she knew what she was talking about.

"Why should we?" questioned Morgan from the back, clearly getting upset by the situation.

"Morgan," Hotch stated sternly.

"No, I don't get it. I'm grateful, unbelievably grateful, that she found him and saved his life. But if he wants to talk to us, the ones that really know him, why can't he?" Morgan continued. How had he not seen Reid grab those drugs? He could have prevented this from happening, right? Morgan rubbed his forehead with his hand out of frustration, sighing slightly.

Reid watched as Sarah turned to speak to him, but Gideon cut her off. "Because she knows what he's going through, she's been here before." Sarah turned back and looked into Reid's eyes slightly before looked down, ashamed. He had a feeling she was going to put that slightly differently. He squeezed her hand causing her to look at him with tears on the verge of falling in her eyes. She offered him a feeble smile.

"Worse actually," she finished. "Quite worse. Right Jason?" Gideon nodded. She continued talking to them, although she only looked into Reid's eyes. "It's not that I don't think he should talk about this, believe me he needs to talk about this, but his throat needs to be rested. The next few days, particularly the next couple hours, aren't going to be pleasant. And with all the damage that might occur during that time he needs to conserve his energy, particularly his voice. We need to first focus on the physical aspect before tackling the harder aspect, the mental side." Taking a deep breath, she continued, although it appeared just to him. "But you are going to get through this. There's no way you can't. If I made it with only Jason at my side, you can make it with the support system you have in this room. You just have to have faith, okay?"

He nodded as she gently pushed some of his hair off of his face. She offered him some more water, which he quickly accepted. Silence slowly filled the room as the team appeared to digest the information they just received. Finally, Morgan spoke again.

"Look, I'm sorry, it's just—"

"Don't be," replied Sarah, cutting him off, this time turning back to look at him. "I completely understand. I know he means a great deal to all of you. Spencer is a great guy. I've already figured that out and I've only known him for what…?"

Glancing quickly at the clock on the wall, Reid whispered, "about 2 hours and 34 minutes." Sarah's head spun back to face him, stunned.

"Well, I see no real damage was done to that massive brain of yours," commented Hotch, causing everyone to chuckle slightly, something they all needed. Smiling slightly, Reid looked back at Sarah who was shaking her head and smiling.

"Don't make me threaten you again," she replied with a hint of laughter and a smile. He nodded and gestured with his free hand that he was done talking by moving it across his throat. "Good, now try and get some more rest, I'll be here when you wake up." Nodding once more, he waved at the rest before closing his eyes. He was scared of what was to come, but had a feeling that everything would turn out okay. With that thought, he drifted back to sleep.

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	6. It Just Takes Time

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Six: It Just Takes Time

By Ann Parker

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"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." - Lord Byron

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Reid pushed his covers off of his body for the third time that night. Stupid hot flashes; he officially had sympathy for all menopausal women. He couldn't seem to sleep at all. Probably another withdrawal symptom. He had already experienced the funniest one of them all – vomiting. And with Sarah and JJ watching, how embarrassing. That was during the first shift from the team, who apparently decided rotate shifts on watching him. He felt like such a child, or at least that's what he imagined that's what it felt like. He didn't have much of a childhood to compare it to. Glancing to his right he could see the lightly dosing figure of Garcia. Must be on shift three already. Glancing to his left, he couldn't help but smile at the sleeping figure of Sarah. She had refused to leave and finally convinced Gideon to order the rest to stop bothering about going home. She was sleeping in what had to be the most uncomfortable position in the chair by his bed. She had her feet tucked under her body, her head propped up with one hand and the other resting gingerly on her rather large book Hotch brought her to read during the second shift. A book that looked like it as about to fall off her lap…

The sound of a large bang on the floor caused but Sarah and Garcia to shoot out of their chairs.

"What the hell was that?" asked Garcia. Reid couldn't stop himself from laughing hysterically; the looks on their faces were priceless. Sarah looked down at her feet, suddenly aware of something grazing her shoe.

"Sorry, I must have fallen asleep with my book and it fell on the ground," she informed Garcia before turning her attention to the man in the bed, still laughing. "You think this is funny, huh?"

Reid could only nod as he wiped tears from his eyes from laughing too hard. Sarah bent down to pick up the book and set it on the table by the chair. By this point, Reid had settled down a little bit. "Sorry, the looks on your faces were hilarious," he stated with a joyful sigh. The women just shook their heads and smiled.

"Well," replied Garcia, "now I need to go to the loo thanks to that shock. Be right back." She exited the room, leaving the other two alone.

Sarah sighed and sat back down in her chair, "well, at least you got entertainment out of that. Laughter is the best medicine." She looked back at her patient who was smiling at her.

"That it is," he replied. Sarah scanned over his body, just now taking in his missing covers.

"Hot flash?" she asked, looking into his eyes. He nodded slightly, the smile fading. "And I'm guessing because that book didn't startle you awake like us, that you weren't asleep either."

Reid nodded again, "Does this ever get any better?" He had wanted to ask her that forever, but didn't have the nerve to ask in front of the others, trying to protect her from questions again. To protect himself from questions.

"Yes it does, I promise," she replied, grabbing hold of his hand. The touch of her skin immediately made him feel better. "It took about four days for the worse of it to go away for me, but I had a great deal more that what was in your system. I'd say give it another day or so and the hardest part will behind you, well, at least the physical part. It just takes time."

"Another day, I can handle that," he stated. He got quiet for a minute and Sarah studied his face, but she couldn't tell what emotion was consuming him. "Will you be here for it all?" he asked, almost too softly to hear.

"Hey," Sarah reached up and pushed hair out of his face, caressing his cheek at the same time. "Not even the mighty Agent Jason Gideon could get me to leave. I'm not going anywhere," she answered. Reid nodded and she dropped her hand from his face and pulling away from his grasp with her other hand. She stood back up and he noticed that she was trying to straighten out his bedding. He reached forward and lightly tugged the sheet from her hand, leaving behind the blanket.

"I'm still a little hot and you don't need to do that anyway," he said pulling the sheet over him.

"I didn't need to do any of this, Spencer," she replied, looking him in the eyes. "But I want to so let me fix your blanket, got it?"

Reid smiled, "Yes Ma'am." As if on cue, Garcia came back into the room.

"Oh Reid, honey, never call a woman that is younger than you Ma'am," Garcia stated as she took her seat. "In fact, never all any woman Ma'am, not unless you want to get punched." All three occupants of the room couldn't help but laugh at that. Sarah finished setting up his blanket for easy access at his side if it were needed and sat back down in her chair.

"Understood," Reid replied. Sighing slightly, he closed his eyes. He felt Sarah take hold of his left hand and gently squeeze. He opened his eyes slightly and smiled at her, receiving a smile in return. Closing them once again, he missed Garcia hide her own smile. Gideon was going to be pleased with her report tonight.

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	7. Trust

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Seven: Trust

By Ann Parker

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Oprah Winfrey once said, "I trust that everything happens for a reason, even when we're not wise enough to see it."

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Three days had passed in the hospital. The doctors felt it was safe for him to be discharged as long as he was monitored. He had at least another week before the physical aspect of withdrawal would fad away. It didn't appear that he had done any permanent damage to his major organs or nervous system. He was apparently very lucky, yet he didn't entirely feel that way. He knew what would be coming next. Sarah had said it herself the first day. Now the mental side would have to be examined, which meant talking about what happened. He didn't really want to relive his time with Tobias.

Currently he was pretending to be asleep, not in the mood to move right now. He could hear Sarah moving around the room, doing what he wasn't sure. Maybe getting the room ready for him to leave? He had no idea who else was here, but he was sure someone from the team was present. They somehow had managed to not be called to a case this whole time. Suddenly he heard Sarah sharply inhale, like she was wincing in pain. That almost made him open his eyes, but a voice stopped him.

"Did you aggravate you side?" asked Gideon. He should have guessed he would be the one here. Wait, what was wrong with Sarah's side? He decided to keep quiet.

"Probably," Sarah muttered, clearly not happy with where she sensed the conversation going.

"When did it happen?" Gideon continued. Sarah sighed.

"When I was trying to get that bathroom door open from the floor," she replied. There was a slight pause before she continued, "I'm not having it looked at so don't even start Jason."

"Why not?" he questioned. "How do you know it hasn't gotten worse?"

"Because," she almost yelled. "It doesn't hurt much more than it does every single day. It hurts when I get dressed, it hurts when I pick up my book bag, it…it hurts enough that a little bit more pain for a few days is not going to bother me." She finished, her voice laced in pain and anger. Reid had never heard her talk like that before. He couldn't stop himself from looking and slightly opened his eyes. What he saw was Gideon walk over to her and pull her into a hug. It sounded like a small sob escaped from her lips against his shoulder.

"Shh, it's alright, I'm sorry," he whispered as he rubbed her back with one of his hands. "Is this taking too much out of you? Bringing up too much pain?" he asked. There was no answer. "If you need to back away, I'll understand. The rest of us can take care of Reid." Wait, what was happening? Was Sarah going to leave him?

"No," she replied, defiant. She pulled slightly away from Gideon's grip. "I can handle this, I can. I won't just leave him." Separating from his embrace, she finished, looking in Reid's direction, causing him to quickly close his eyes. "I can't leave him." Reid fought the urge to smile at that comment. She really was going to be here for all of this.

Almost changing the subject, Gideon spoke up. "You know you don't have to tell him if it'll open the wound again, right?" Gideon couldn't stop himself from trying to protect her from the pain of her past.

Sarah laughed slightly, "You have got to be kidding me. This man, this incredible man, has blindly trusted me to take care of him. You, you trusted me to help you help him because I've been through something like this. I think he's earned the right to know what that was. I have to, no need to, tell him about my past."

She stopped for a minute, making Reid's mind race. So it wasn't an accident that they met when they did. Gideon set it all up. He should have known; Gideon never has visitors, at least not social visits. Wait, so that meant Gideon knew about the drugs, right? Why didn't he just confront him? Probably because he knew he'd just lie. He outsmarted him, the genius. Gideon knew he wouldn't want to talk about it with them, he could see his shield. But how did he know that Sarah could penetrate it? Could he even still trust her? One way to find out.

"Hey guys," he greeted, attempting to pretend he had just woke up. Sarah immediately looked at him and smiled. She walked over to his side.

"Hey you. You ready to go?" she asked, unaware he had been listening.

"I think so," he answered, attempting to search her eyes for any sign of distrust. "Hey Gideon, do you think you could leave us alone for a minute?" he asked, catching both Sarah and Gideon off guard.

"Sure," Gideon replied, "I'll check to make sure you paperwork is in order." With that he left them alone. Sarah watched the door close and then looked back at Reid. She immediately saw the look of hurt in his eyes.

"You heard our conversation, didn't you?" she asked with a sigh. Reid nodded. "What do you want to know? I tell you everything." Reid continued to look into her eyes, not finding any hint of lies, but he needed to hear it.

"Have you ever lied to me?" he asked.

"I have not," she replied without hesitation. "Jason did when we first met, well slightly anyway." Reid nodded, waiting for her to continue. "He was telling the truth when he said I just graduated and that I wanted to work for the BAU. However, I never asked for a tour of your office. That was his attempt at getting me to meet you." She stopped for a second, as if deciding how to word the rest. "He knew about the drugs, Spencer. The doctors told him when you got checked out at the hospital in Georgia. He also had a feeling that you took them from the scene. What he didn't know was if you were still using them and he said he didn't want to interrogate you about it. I'm guessing he thought you'd just lie."

"Probably," Reid replied. "But why did he think you could help?"

"You know, he wasn't completely forth coming about that with me. He claimed it was because since I had been addicted to the same drug, I would be able to figure out if you were still using a lot faster than he could. But I think there was more to it than that even though he didn't tell me," she finished.

"So why go through with it? If you didn't know me and you didn't fully buy his reason, why do this?" Reid pried.

"Because…" she stopped for a minute, closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she made sure to make direct eye contact with him. "Because for one, Jason has never lied to me and I trust him completely. I didn't think he would have asked for my help if he didn't need it. And secondly, I just felt, I guess a connection with you when walked up to your desk. When I looked into your eyes I felt like I could trust you."

Reid reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. "I felt that too," he stated with a smile.

She smiled back, "anything else you want to know?"

"Oh there's plenty, but that's good for now," he replied. She nodded. "Now, can you get me out of here?"

Sarah laughed, "Absolutely." She stood up and headed back to the door. "I'll go check on how Jason's doing with that paperwork, okay?"

Reid nodded and watched her leave the room. Although he didn't appreciate Gideon lying to him, he had a feeling he might have been right about asking for Sarah's help.

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	8. Deal

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Eight: Deal

By Ann Parker

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King Solomon once said, "Give me the gift of a listening heart."

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Reid was sitting on his couch in his apartment with Morgan. Gideon had gone with Sarah to her apartment. She wanted to get some of her things together, determined to crash at a nearby hotel since she lived a little over an hour away. Gideon didn't trust her driving by herself, since he knew she was sleep deprived. JJ was fluttering around his kitchen, putting away the groceries she had bought for him. He couldn't believe how much these people were doing for him. He was so used to having to rely on only himself that it felt good to know he had friends to support him. A slight bang came from the kitchen, like something had fallen, pulling him away from his thoughts.

"Are you okay in there JJ?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. The box of cereal just slipped out of my hand," she yelled back. Reid looked at Morgan.

"How has she been during all of this?" he asked softly. Morgan sighed.

"I gotta tell you, not great. I think she blames herself for what happened to you," he replied.

"What?" Reid was shocked. "I was the one that decided we should separate; I didn't even wait for her argue against it. If anything, I brought this on myself, not her."

Morgan put a hand on Reid's shoulder, squeezing. "Hey, this isn't your fault either. Tobias did this, not you. Don't beat yourself up over this, okay? All you need to do is just try and move on and get better. But I do suggest talking to her about it, it might help her out."

Reid nodded, "thanks Derek." It was one of the first times he had used Morgan's first name and it caused the older man to smile.

"Anytime, man, anytime," he replied. Just then the front door opened to the sounds of Sarah muttering at her companion.

"I really need to move somewhere warmer. I hate this cold weather," she complained as she set a duffle bag down. "It makes it harder to breathe."

"What's with the luggage?" asked JJ, coming out of the kitchen, effectively ending that conversation.

Sarah sighed rather loudly, "Well, all the local hotels were either full or didn't meet Jason's security standards." JJ, Morgan, and Reid all just shook their heads. Even though they didn't know their full history, all three could tell that Gideon was apparently overly protective of the young woman.

"Hey, I offered you the guest room at my house," countered Gideon as they took off their coats.

"Yes you did," she replied and then looked in Reid's direction, "Which reminds me. Spencer, please save me from that house." She headed over the couch to sit next to him, linking her arm with his, probably without even realizing it. The others noticed however. "It's just plain creepy," she continued, wrinkling her nose. This received laughter from the rest just as JJ's phone rang.

"Excuse me," she said and headed back into the kitchen to answer the call.

"My house is not 'creepy,' as you put it," continued Gideon. Sarah just sent a look to the two younger men.

"You can stay here if you don't mind sleeping on the couch," offered Reid. Sarah grinned and hugged him.

"Oh thank you!" she just about squealed as she let him go.

"Well, look at you, Reid. Having a co-ed sleepover," teased Morgan, causing Reid and Sarah both to blush slightly. Sarah suddenly noticed where her arm was and pulled it away. Before Reid could come up with a response, JJ walked back into the room.

"Well, our break from murderers is over," she said. She grabbed Gideon and Morgan's coats along with hers. Both men stood up. Reid, out of habit, started to follow.

"Oh no you don't," commented Gideon. "You stay here and get some rest." Reid opened his mouth to attempt a protest. "If we need your help, we'll call you and you can help Garcia, okay? You're not cleared for the field yet, anyway."

"Right," he replied. "Good luck guys." They nodded as they put on their coats. Sarah appeared next to him although he hadn't even heard her move.

"Be safe," she added. The group waved goodbye and headed out the door. After they heard the door click shut she turned to him. "You'll be back out there saving lives soon enough," she offered. He looked back the woman he was now left alone with in his own apartment. There was a first. Morgan's comment resurfaced in his head. He had never been good with women, but somehow he felt at ease with her. He had so many things he wanted to ask her and now that he finally had the chance he didn't know where to start. He could see her eyes searching his. "What is the great Dr. Spencer Reid thinking about up there?"

He smiled, "you." He watched as Sarah blushed slightly and smiled. He looked into her bluest of blue eyes and felt safe. "I think I'm ready to ask you some more questions, if you don't mind."

She nodded, as if sensing that was coming. "One condition," she stated, causing Reid to raise an eyebrow. "I'll tell you about me, if you tell me about yourself in return."

"Deal." With that they walked back over to the couch and settled in for what was undoubtedly going to be a long discussion.

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	9. Her Past Revealed

Author's Note: Due to the slightly graphic aspects of this chapter, the story's rating has been upgraded. I sincerely hope this doesn't offend anyone and I apologize if it does. I do promise, however, that this should be the darkest aspect of the story.

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**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Nine: Her Past Revealed

By Ann Parker

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Edward de Bono once said, "A memory is what is left when something happens and does not completely unhappen."

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"You start," offered Sarah. Reid was sitting at one end of the faded brown couch; Sarah was covered up at the other end with the blanket that had been draped over its back, apparently hiding the few meager attempts to patch up holes.

Reid cleared his throat. What could he ask that could cover the most ground? After thinking for a minute, he finally spoke. "Exactly how do you know Gideon?"

Sarah smiled, running her fingers through her hair. "Nice choice." Reid smiled slightly, almost more so to mentally prepare himself for the answer than to offer her support. He had a feeling this was going to be a loaded answer if he had judged their relationship correctly. "Well," she continued, "to put it simply, he saved my life—twice." Reid nodded, staying quiet and waiting for more. "The first time from my step-father and the second from, well, myself."

"I'm assuming you're referring to the drugs," stated Reid. Sarah nodded.

"Yes, our common friend, unfortunately," she replied with a sad smile and started her story. "I never knew my real father, he died in a car crash while my mom was still pregnant with me. When I was ten my mom decided to finally remarry. If only she had known what he was really like..." she trailed off for a minute and Reid just let her collect her thoughts. "He beat her. Sometimes me, it depended on who was in range. The only time he didn't beat her in their eight-year marriage was when she was pregnant with my half-brother, Lucas." Sarah suddenly stood up, the blanket falling to the floor, and began to pace across the room. Reid watched intently, slowly realizing just how tragic this story was becoming.

"I was eighteen, just about to head off to college on a partial scholarship. I knew that I was going to be free of the lovely hell I called home, but I couldn't just bide my remaining time and leave. I couldn't just leave, leave poor little five-year-old Lucas there by himself. So one day while he was at work, I finally convinced my mom to leave him. I figured we could just run away to a local woman's shelter. We would be protected," she stopped for a moment, frozen in her spot in the middle of Reid's living room. He was beginning to regret asking the question. It was too soon; they had only known each other for a few days and here he was letting her tell him her darkest secret. No wonder Gideon told her she didn't need to open this wound.

"He found us," she practically whispered, regaining Reid's attention. "How, I will never be fully sure, but he found us. He forced us into his truck. I tried to fight back, finally brave enough, but he put a knife to my mom's throat. He drove us to his old cabin in the woods and locked us up for three days. The whole time I was trying to find a way for us to escape, but I couldn't. And then..." By this point she was sitting on the floor, slightly rocking back and forth. Reid didn't know what to do; he usually never dealt with the victims of their cases. He figured out who the unsub was, and maybe help with the rescue, but Gideon and the others were the ones that talked to the victims after they were saved. Hoping his instinct was correct he quietly picked up the now discarded blanket and walked up behind her. Bending down to her level, he gently draped the blanket over her shoulders, leaving his hand there for support. She reached up and placed one of hers on top of his, ready to finish the story.

"He killed her. In front of Lucas and myself. Poor Lucas couldn't stop screaming. I tried to get him to stop, afraid of what would happen, but he wouldn't, couldn't. Finally, he couldn't take the noise anymore and grabbed Lucas' tiny little body from my hands, tossing him to the ground." She paused, swallowing hard. "He never got back up. I was now alone. He dragged me into his bedroom, ready to make me pay for making his family leave him. He had his way with me, beating and cutting me in the process." She took a hold of Reid's hand and placed his fingers on her left side. He could feel a ridge in her skin, a scar. She guided his hand down her whole side, the old knife wound running the entire length. He could feel her shudder under his grasp and he pulled her into his arms without even thinking.

Sighing slightly, she continued. Would it ever end? "I guess he elected to let me lay there in pain for a while instead of just killing me. I slipped into unconsciousness. The next thing I remember I hear loud noises and see bright white lights surrounding Jason's face. He had found me and saved me just before I had bled to death." The woman that seemed so strong when they first met was a scared little girl now in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Sarah," he said, finally speaking. "I shouldn't have asked." He felt her shake her head against his chest.

"No, I needed to tell you," she replied and looked up into eyes. "I'll be okay," she added with a sad smile.

"Are you sure? You don't need to continue if you don't want to," he stated.

"It's alright. The second story is far less dramatic," she countered, starting the story before he could stop her. If she didn't tell him now, she wouldn't have the strength to do so later. "I was put on Dilaudid to help me deal with the pain I had suffered, particularly my side. There was permanent muscle damage so any stretching movements aggravate it. After a few weeks in the hospital, I was released with instructions on how to administer the drugs. A very bad move on their part because I decided I should get to use it to forget the emotional pain as well." She paused for a moment and looked down. "I was weak and hurt with no one to talk to or at least no one I thought would be willing to let me talk to them about what happened." She looked back up into his eyes and saw understanding; he knew exactly what she meant.

"Well," she continued, "three months past and it was time for the trial. That's what brought Jason back into town. We were both supposed to testify on the same day, but I didn't show. I didn't want to relive any of it. He rushed to the temporary housing the DA had set up for me with some other officers and found me passed out on the floor, the drugs in my hand. I was rushed to the hospital once again, but this time he didn't leave. He would tell me later that he didn't trust leaving me with the people he had thought were going to properly care for me the first time. He helped me detox and get therapy. After a few weeks, he had to leave, but he has always kept in touch. I guess he's my guardian angel of sorts."

They sat there for a second letting the last few minutes wash over them. Finally, she offered him a more genuine, less hurt smile, "okay. All done. See, I told you that you picked a good question." Reid sympathetically smiled back, still taking all of this information in.

"No wonder he asked you to help me," he stated. "If you can come back from that, then I can come back from mine as well." Sarah smiled and pushed herself off his lap, standing up. She offered him a hand and pulled him up as well.

"And you will," she replied once they were both standing. Silently, she took hold of his hand and pulled them back to the couch, where the conversation had started.

Reid cleared his throat, "Your turn." Sarah nodded, remaining quiet for a few minutes. What was she going to ask? Was he ready to talk about his time with Tobias? Even if he wasn't, he felt that he would have to share after what she just went through.

"Who were you apologizing to?" she asked, catching him completely off guard. He looked at her with a confused expression. "When I pulled you out of the restroom at the BAU you were mumbling 'I'm sorry' repeatedly," she offered.

Reid sighed softly; he hadn't even realized he had been talking when that happened. Yet he knew the answer to the question.

"My mom," he whispered. He looked down at the floor, still ashamed after all these years. "When I was eighteen I had her committed to a mental health facility because she suffers from schizophrenia. She…wouldn't take care of herself. She was so mad, she's still so mad." Reid couldn't look at Sarah, afraid of the look on her face, so he just focused on the floor. He was so focused, in fact, that he didn't even hear her move directly next to him until she had a hand on top of his.

"Spencer, she needed help and she couldn't get it for herself. You did the right thing even if she didn't see it that way." Her kind words, the same words his head had tried telling his heart ever since that day, finally let him began to make peace with his decision. How could this woman he had only known for a few days understand him so well?

He looked up at his companion, meeting her eyes. He felt her reach over and push his hair out of his eyes. "There, much better," she stated with a hint of laugher in her voice, trying to lighten the mood. She was so beautiful. Even more so on the inside then out. Reid found himself being pulled to her, leaning in for a kiss. He saw her close her eyes, waiting. He felt his own eyes close just as he was about reach her…

The shrill ring of his cell phone stopped them both. Sighing, he moved to grab his phone, immediately recognizing the number. "Hey Garcia," he greeted. He thought he could hear Sarah release a sigh of frustration as well. That had to be a good sign, right? Focusing on the conversation, he listened to the BAU's computer extraordinaire. "Yeah, I'll be right there. Bye."

Sarah let out a slight laugh, causing him to look at her. "They can't solve a case without their genus, can they?"

Reid smiled, "I guess not." Sarah stood up and pulled him up as well.

"Alright then, I'll drive. You're not cleared to handle 'heavy machinery' yet," she stated. Reid nodded and they headed out the door, both wondering about what might have happened.

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	10. Motivation

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Ten: Motivation

By Ann Parker

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"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill

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A short car drive later and the pair had reached the BAU offices. They headed immediately to Garcia's office, who handed Reid a copy of the file she had made while they were on route. He opted to spread the file out on the conference room table and had Garcia patch him through to the speakerphone on the airplane. As the team began to discuss the case, Sarah quietly studied the information on the table. She wasn't even sure if she could be looking at it, but her curiosity got the better of her. That's when she spotted something odd in the note sent to the latest victim.

"Huh," she said more to herself than Reid or the others, although it interrupted their conversation.

"Sarah?" asked Hotch, through the phone. She immediately felt like she was in trouble.

"What? Nothing, nothing. I'm not here, just ignore it," she rambled out. "I didn't just break federal law by looking at these did I?"

Gideon's chuckle could be heard over the phone, "Never mind that, what did you see?"

"Well, it's just that the wording of this note seems odd," she stated. She moved it in front of Reid so he could get a better look. "Doesn't 'take care' seem like an odd choice of words when threatening someone?" she asked.

"She right," commented Reid almost immediately. "That phrase is typically female. Also, the use of 'we' is unusual. Unsubs with these types of MOs don't usually defuse blame or credit, they want it all for themselves. I don't think this note was written by your killer, but by a young female just trying to scare the victim."

"Good work you two," replied Gideon. "We'll call you again shortly."

"Okay," replied Reid for the both of them.

"Oh, and Sarah?" Gideon continued. "Looks like your college education might have paid off."

"Yay, I'll remember to tell my student loan officer that," she replied with a hint of sarcasm. Laughter filled the conference room from the speakerphone and Reid before the others hung up. She always seemed to have a way to brighten the moment. Shaking his head, Reid looked back down at the file to see if he had missed anything important. Seeing their bodies lying in the leaves sent him back to digging his grave with Tobias. He had never felt so scared before, staring down at his own death. If he hadn't seen those flashlights he didn't know what he would have done. Never mind the fact that he got lucky with the shot.

"Spencer?" Sarah's hand on his arm pulled him back. He looked at her, the fear still in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I…I see myself in these photos," he whispered. She sat down in the chair next to him and turned so they were facing each other, remaining silent. It was his turn to speak. "I know what they felt right before they were killed. How all they wanted was for the pain to be over yet they wanted to live. How terror pulsed through every fiber of their beings, but so did the need to fight. The utter despair when they realized it was the end…" he stopped for a minute. "I don't know if I can do this job if I can't separate myself from the victims."

"You don't need to fully separate yourself, Spencer," she replied, taking hold of his hand. "I won't be able to if I ever work here, but that doesn't mean we can't help them. In fact, I'd prefer to think that we have an upper hand."

"How?" he questioned, furrowing his brow.

"Do you remember the feeling that night when the team finally showed up and rescued you?" she asked. He nodded; remembering the relief when he realized Hotch had understood his message. "So we can use that feeling of relief as motivation. Motivation to help provide the victims with that same feeling of knowing that everything is going to get better from that point on." She paused slightly, letting that sink in. "And, when that is unfortunately not an option, we can at least provide justice for those we couldn't reach like my mom and Lucas."

Reid squeezed her hand and smiled slightly, "You're right. You're right."

Sarah smiled and released her hand from his. She spun around in her chair, "So, now what are we going to do?" she asked, electing to change the subject for him. Reid couldn't stop himself from laughing at her slightly childlike behavior. He grabbed hold of the chair, stopping it so she faced him again.

"I could finish the tour I was supposed to give you," he offered.

"That is an excellent idea, my dear Doctor," she replied with a wink. Standing up, he offered his hand to her and she quickly accepted it.

"Well, first, this is the conference room where we meet to discuss new cases before heading to their locations," he started.

"Wow, it's so…big. The chairs were comfy," she replied with a laugh. Reid grinned as they walked out the door to finish their exciting tour until the team called again.

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	11. Sleeping Beauty

Author's Note: I used a few pieces of information from last week's episode, "Fear and Loathing." If you didn't watch the episode, don't worry, I don't really reveal anything to critical from it. However, I do omit some of it to make it work in the story.

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**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Eleven: Sleeping Beauty

By Ann Parker

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"We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full." – Marcel Proust

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The tour was short lived. Reid's back had begun to ache slightly and he felt a little weak so Sarah ordered him back to the conference room to rest until these withdrawal symptoms subsided. She grabbed some popcorn and bottled water from the break room since both were starving and they settled back into the leather chairs. They were eating their dinner, if you wanted to call it that, when Gideon called again to get Reid's help on developing a profile of their unsub. Sarah elected to simply listen this time, not wanting to say something wrong when time was of the essence. After the team hung up, the pair returned to idle conversation. Both of them had had enough deep conversation for one night so they stuck to easy topics of books and movies. That was until his help was needed once more, this time to assist Garcia in finding the location the unsub was taking the victims. Sarah decided to stay in the conference room, her sleep deprivation catching up with her.

Reid helped Morgan and Garcia narrow down what they needed until the location of a belly-up recording studio was found. "Wow, I haven't watched you work from this angle in a long time," he commented to Garcia.

"You don't have to remind me that I'm brilliant," teased Garcia. Reid smiled at his friend; she was quite the character. "Speaking of brilliant," she continued, "where's your girlfriend?"

Reid blushed slightly, "she's not my girlfriend, Garcia, and she's in the conference room."

"That's not what my dear Morgan said on the phone," she continued. "I hear she's sleeping at your place now?"

Damn Morgan. Reid tried to find a way out of this topic, highly embarrassed. "That's only because she didn't want to stay at Gideon's and couldn't find a hotel."

"Uh huh, right," she countered. Shaking his head, Reid elected to leave to make this conversation stop.

"Bye Garcia."

"Go get 'em, Tiger!" Garcia laughed as Reid shut the door. He let out slight sigh as he headed back to the conference room. Could everyone see what he was feeling? When he entered the room, he froze at the sight before him. Sarah had wondered next to the far wall and was lying on the floor, her coat draped over top of her body. She was asleep. And she was absolutely stunning; it almost took his breath away. Not wanting to disturb her, he quietly went back to the table and put all the paperwork back into the file. He didn't want to leave until he knew the case was over so he elected to join her. He sat down next to her and gently set her head in his lap to give her a cushion. Pushing her hair out of her face, he smiled at the sleeping form next to him. It was amazing to him the feelings he had already developed for her after such a short time. He was no expert on love, but he would have thought it would have taken longer. Oh well, he had never been one to do things the normal way. Closing his eyes, he let that thought drift him off to sleep.

_About two hours later…_

The team arrived back at headquarters and were all heading inside to drop off their things before going home. When they got off the elevator they saw Garcia leaning against the railing on the second floor and looking into the conference room.

"Mama, I thought I told you to go home?" asked Morgan, speaking for everyone.

"Shh!! Just come up here you guys," she replied, not taking her eyes off of the object of her attention. Worry would have come over the rest, if they hadn't seen the large smile on her face. Instead they were just curious. "When you called to say you caught the guy, I went to find Reid to tell him that they could go home and this is what I found." By this point the whole team saw what she was starring at – Reid's sleeping form leaning against the wall with his arm resting on Sarah's shoulder, who was asleep next to him with her head in his lap. The sight brought smiles to everyone. "I didn't want to wake them, but I didn't want to just leave them here either so I decided to wait for you guys to get back," Garcia finished.

"That has got to be one of the sweetest things I've ever seen," commented Emily. The others chuckled slightly.

"What this part of your plan, Gideon?" asked Hotch. Gideon simply smiled.

Reid heard the soft murmurs of voices and opened his eyes. Glancing to the window of the room, he saw his team standing and staring at him with smiles on their faces. He looked down and shook his head slightly, "I'm never going to live this down." He slide out from under Sarah's still sleeping form and walked over to them. "Hey guys, did you catch the unsub?" he asked, attempting to keep the conversation off of him.

"Oh no you don't, your not getting out of this that easily," teased Morgan.

"Why are you guys still even here?" asked JJ, trying to let Reid off the hook from Morgan's line of questioning. He looked behind him at the sleeping figure and quietly shut the door to let her be.

"When I came back from Garcia's office, she was already asleep and I didn't have the heart to wake her. I figured I'd just wait until I knew you had solved the case before I'd bother her. I must have just fallen sleep. Why didn't you wake me when they called to say they were on their way?" he asked their computer wizard.

"You looked so peaceful and I figured you both could use some rest," she replied. "Besides, you two looked so cute, I couldn't disturb you." The others chuckled at Garcia's response as Reid rolled his eyes.

"Well, now that you know the case is wrapped up, why don't you go wake her up and head home?" Hotch asked. He could tell Reid was uncomfortable with this line of questioning.

"Of course," he replied and the group began to disperse. They all needed to head home and get some rest. But first, Reid took this opportunity to talk to JJ. "Hey, JJ, can I talk to you for a minute?" The blond turned back to him.

"Sure." The two walked a little ways from the rest. "What's up, Spence?"

"I know we haven't talk much since that night," he started. JJ looked down at the floor. "But I want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened, okay? I was the one that suggested we split up. Tobias did the rest. You did nothing wrong," he finished. JJ looked back up and him and smiled slightly, a few tears in her eyes. She pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered. That was all she needed to hear. She pulled away, still smiling. "Good night Spence."

"Good night." Reid watched her walked away and noticed Morgan looking up at them from the first floor. He nodded slightly at the younger man, acknowledging what had just happened. Reid nodded in return and headed back to the conference room. He found Gideon studying Sarah through the window with a smile on his face.

"She's something isn't she?" he asked Reid. Reid looked at her and back at Gideon.

"Thank you for setting me up," he said sincerely, causing Gideon to look him the eyes. "She told me," he added.

Gideon smiled; he should have guessed that secret wouldn't have lasted long. He placed a hand on Reid's shoulder. "You're welcome son. I didn't want to deceive you, but I…"

"I know," Reid cut him off. "And you were probably right. I'm not sure I could've…can really talk to you guys about what happened. But I can with her." Gideon pulled Reid into a hug.

"That's all I need to hear," he whispered into Reid's ear. Pulling away, he added, "now, let's go wake up Sleeping Beauty in there." Reid smiled and nodded. They walked into the conference room together and went to wake up the women that had changed both of their lives.

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	12. Time Standing Still

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Twelve: Time Standing Still

By Ann Parker

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"If I know what love is, it is because of you." – Herman Hesse

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Sarah groaned, waking up on Reid's couch. They had made it back to his apartment without incident, except for her embarrassment for falling asleep in a federal building. That had been a few hours ago. She threw off her blanket and got up, cursing that bottle of water from dinner. Reid only had one bathroom in his small apartment and it was, of course, only connected to his bedroom. Quietly, almost stealth-like, she opened his bedroom door and made her way across his floor to the bathroom. When she was finished, she attempted to make a hasty retreat, but the noise from his bed stopped her. He was tossing and turning and looked upset. She thought she heard him mumble the name Raphael. He appeared to be having a nightmare. She debated whether or not she should go over to him and her concern for his well being won the discussion. She slowly approached the side of his bed and sat down. Before she had time to contemplate her next move, Reid let out a scream and sat straight up. He looked right at her, terror in his eyes, but she didn't think he actually saw her.

"Spencer," she said rather loudly to try and get his attention, placing her hands on his shoulders in the process. No response. "Spencer, wake up!" she said even louder. She watched him blink a few times and then finally make true eye contact with her.

"Sarah…" It was all he could get out. He looked like a frightened little boy. Instinctually, she pulled him into her embrace, rubbing his bare back in circular motions to calm him down.

"Shh, it's okay. It was just a nightmare. It'll be okay," she tried to reassure him.

"No, it wasn't," he breathed against her neck. "It was a flashback." He found himself holding her tighter, as if trying to make sure she was really here and he wasn't actually tied back up to that chair. They sat there for a few minutes, letting him calm down.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she finally asked, pulling back just a little to look him in the eyes.

He shook his head, "Not tonight, not in the dark." She nodded, fully separating herself in the process.

"Okay," she answered. "Let's get some sleep then. Don't hesitate to come get me if you change your mind, though." She began to stand up, but Reid placed a hand on her arm. She looked back at him, slightly confused.

"Wait, um…" he started. "Do…do you think that you could…stay?" He didn't dare look at her, his shyness and embarrassment almost too much. "It's just that I feel…safer…" he trailed off, unsure how to put his feelings to words. He didn't look up to see Sarah smile.

"Scoot over," she whispered without even hesitating. Reid looked up, shocked. "Well?" she added, finally causing him take action. He slid over and watched as this woman climbed into his bed. Another first. Without a word, she laid down, rolling to her side. She grabbed hold of his right hand and pulled his arm across her body, lacing her fingers in his. The sensation of their skin touching almost sent chills down his spine. He might not be able to get any sleep like this either. "Does this work for you?" she asked. He pushed the hair off of the side her face.

"It's perfect." He saw her smile, closing her eyes.

"Good. Good night, Spencer," she whispered. He laid his head down behind her, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her shampoo in the process.

"Good night, Sarah." As he closed his eyes he had a feeling he wouldn't have anymore flashbacks tonight.

When he woke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was that he was alone in his bed again. The second was the strong aroma of coffee coming from his kitchen. The third, running water in his bathroom. It didn't take his genius abilities to figure out that she had woken up before him, started the coffee, and hopped into the shower. He decided to lie in his bed a while longer, her scent still left on the pillow. He could get used to this. Ironic, considering he once thought he might never find someone that understood him. Now here he was, being lifted up from the darkness of his time with Tobias and pulled right into the light that was Sarah. He couldn't believe his fortune of finding her when he did. Granted, it was a set up all along, but a part of him felt like it was fate as well.

"Good morning, sleepy head." He looked up at his bathroom entrance to see Sarah smiling at him. She was just wearing a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, but she was stunning nonetheless and he couldn't help but stare. Sarah could feel his eyes burning her skin. "What?" she asked.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. Sarah looked down at her feet, blushing.

"You're just saying that because you haven't had caffeine yet. Wait until you get some coffee and then you'll see how unattractive I am," she stated, embarrassed. She was never good at accepting complements, particularly about her appearance. All she ever saw was her scar. She started to head out the bedroom door, trying to end the conversation.

"That, I'm afraid, would be impossible," he countered, getting up to meet her at the doorway. He managed to catch her before she could slip away, pulling her into his arms. "I will never see you as anything less than breathtaking," he said, looking into her eyes. When did he get so brave?

A few tears formed in her blue eyes, "How can you say that when I'm disfigured?" He could see the insecurity written all over her face and knew exactly what she was talking about. He slowly ran his hand down her scar making her shiver.

"That only makes you more beautiful because it reflects your inner beauty, your inner strength," he stated. A few tears fell from her eyes and he reached up to wipe them away.

"Spencer," she breathed. Following his heart and not his brain for once, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. When they finally separated he rested his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes once more. He could see the emotions of his own heart reflecting in her eyes. No words needed to exchange as they kissed once more, letting time stand still for a few moments.

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	13. Guilt

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter Thirteen: Guilt

By Ann Parker

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Teresa of Avila once said, "Pain is never permanent."

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"So I think I'm ready to talk about what happened to me," Reid stated bluntly. They were sitting at his kitchen table, having just finished the breakfast she made while he was in the shower.

She looked up from the cup of coffee she was holding and met his gaze. "Okay." He watched as she stood up and took their plates and placed them in his sink before returning to her seat next to him. "Whenever you're ready," she added, now that he had her complete attention. He set his own coffee down and cleared his throat.

"JJ and I were sent to collect some more information from someone that saw a lurker at the first victims' home. Why we didn't think of it as anything more than some Good Samaritan, I'm not quite sure. When we reached Tobias' house he denied ever being there and that's when I put it all together. Particularly when I saw all his computers through the window. When I saw him run, I immediately told JJ and separated from her. Big mistake," he paused, taking hold of Sarah's hand and running his thumb over her knuckles. He just wanted to get this out as fast as possible, but couldn't find the words to do so.

"I followed him into the field and heard him argue with himself, well, technically speaking anyway. That's when I heard JJ scream. Without thinking, I ran to check on her and Tobias knocked me down. It was the first time he pointed a gun at my head, although it wouldn't be the last. The next thing I remember, I'm waking up in some rickety cabin, tied up to a chair." He rubbed his free hand over one of his wrists, still able to feel the restraints. "It only took me a few conversations to figure out that I had three personalities to deal with – Raphael, the one that didn't care about life or death, just God's mission; Tobias' father, Charles, who was determined to make me confess my sins; and Tobias, a young man afraid of his father that used drugs to escape. He was the one that drugged me."

Swallowing hard, he continued, "I could tolerate Charles trying to beat a confession out of me and even though I didn't like it at first, Tobias drugging me. It was when Raphael made me choose who got to live and who got to die that will haunt me forever. I basically murdered that couple to save myself."

"Hey," Sarah countered, lifting Reid's face so she could see his eyes. "What happened is not your fault."

Reid let out a slightly angry chuckle, "that's just what Gideon said. Doesn't make it true."

"Yes it does," she stated. "Listen to me, Spencer. I know exactly what you're feeling. I used to believe that I murdered my mother and brother too."

"How did you get over it?" he asked.

"It never fully goes away. But I came to realize that I was not to blame, my step-father was the one that committed the crime. The same is true for Tobias. We were both just acting on what we believed was right, how someone else responded to that is not our responsibility. You just need to realize that you did what you had to at the time, there is no shame or blame in that. The wound will heal over in time, okay?" Sarah caressed his cheek, trying to offer any type of comfort. He nodded in response, letting her speech sink in.

After a few minutes, he finished his story. "Raphael saw Gideon's message to me and threatened to kill me via Russian roulette if I didn't pick someone on the team to die. I…I didn't want to do it; I knew they were watching. How could I choose? Finally, I thought of a sin I could use to hopefully get a message to them and choose Hotch. I'm lucky he figured out my message or I probably wouldn't be here. Shortly there after, Tobias drugged me again. I was apologizing to my mom again when I was coming out of a hallucination and Raphael heard me. I confessed my sin of not honoring my mother and he decided that I got to dig my own grave."

He pulled his hand away from hers, using it to rest his head in it instead. "I was ready to die at that point. If I hadn't seen those flashlights, I probably would have just given up. They gave me a glimmer of hope, though, and I reached for the gun with one bullet in it. I was so lucky when I pulled the trigger. After that, I saw Tobias laying on the ground, not Charles, not Raphael, but Tobias. Someone who in his own twisted way tried to help me and I felt guilty for killing him. I think that is what drove me to take the drugs. Guilt. Guilt over my mom, over Tobias." Finally finished, he looked back up at her, waiting her reaction.

She pulled him into a hug just like she had the night before and just held him for a few minutes. He felt so safe in her arms. Finally, she spoke. "I know this won't fix what you are feeling right now, but you are not at fault for anything that happened. You are very brave for fighting the way you did. Most people wouldn't have lasted that long. Someday, you'll realize that." She separated herself from him and ran her fingers through his hair, letting her hand rest on his cheek. "Until that day, just remember that I'll be here for you. So are all your friends at the BAU. As long as you don't shut us out we'll be here to help you get through this, understand?"

Reid nodded, kissing her hand. He truly believed her. He was going to be okay. It may not be easy, but with her at his side he could get through this. She smiled softly at his gesture. "Thank you," he said softly, kissing the inside of her hand again.

"You are very welcome, doctor," she replied, tapping his nose with her finger and making him laugh. Her and her knack for lightening the mood. He pulled her hand away and quickly kissed her. "What was that for?" she asked when he pulled away.

"Just felt like it," he shrugged. Sarah just laughed and initiated the next, quite longer kiss.

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	14. The Ringing Phone

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter 14: The Ringing Phone

By Ann Parker

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Eugene Ionesco once said, "Dreams and anguish bring us together."

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The next few days were fairly uneventful. Reid was still staying at home unless the team needed him, which they hadn't. This left time for him to get to know Sarah even better. Both felt that now that their tragic stories had been shared, they had time to get to know the person beyond that. They discovered they had some similar tastes in books, although Sarah couldn't read anywhere as fast as Reid. Not that many people could. His withdrawal symptoms had also seemed to fade and he hadn't had another flashback. That could have something to do with the fact that she had slept in his bed every night, not that he was complaining. Yet they were still taking things slow, neither were ready to go past kissing and snuggling just yet. It had only been about a week since they first met. A long week, but a week nonetheless.

Members of the team had periodically stopped by, particularly Gideon, Morgan, and JJ. JJ and Sarah had actually become fast friends; something that both amused and worried Reid. He wondered what kind of stories JJ might tell about him and his supreme nerdiness. Morgan was impressed that Sarah managed to beat Reid in a game of cards. It was actually during one of these card games with Morgan and JJ that Reid's phone rang.

"Hello Hotch," he greeted. JJ and Morgan both looked up from their cards, wondering if they were being summoned away. Reid caught this and shook he head, standing and walking away from the table. Sarah noticed, but chose to not try and read anything into it. Once alone in the next room, he continued the phone conversation.

"Yeah, I think I'm ready," he replied.

"Good. Why don't you come in tomorrow morning around nine? You'll have to sit down with the psychologist and pass the board's review, but I don't think that will be a problem, do you?" answered Hotch. He hoped Gideon's judgment of Reid's behavior the last few days had been accurate. He didn't want Reid to come back too soon, but could also use him back with the team.

"No, that's not a problem," Reid replied. And it wasn't. He felt much better about what had happened after he had talked to Sarah about it.

"Great. Gideon wants to talk with you afterwards as well. We'll see you then."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." Reid hung up his phone and went back in the other room to find Morgan nagging Sarah.

"Come on…just tell me. He doesn't need to know," Morgan pleaded.

"I don't need to know what?" Reid asked, rejoining the table. Sarah just sighed.

"He believes I've figured out your tell and that's why I can beat you. He wants me to tell him what it is," she replied.

"I have a tell?" Reid questioned. He thought he was very good at disguising any emotion. Maybe just not with her.

"Perhaps," was all she would say. She winked at him and made him shake his head. "What did Hotch want?" she continued, asking the burning question.

"I just need to meet with some people at the office tomorrow," he shrugged, not wanting to make a big deal about it. Sarah nodded, sensing he didn't want to continue the conversation.

"Read them and weep," she said, setting down her hand. "Four Jacks." Groans could be heard from the rest as they threw down their cards and JJ collected them to deal the next hand.

The next morning Sarah left Reid's apartment a little before his meeting to head back to her apartment and take care of a few things. She had just unlocked her door when her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she didn't recognize the number and was quite surprised when she heard the team leader's voice at the other end.

"Is Spencer okay?" she asked, completely ignoring Hotch's greeting.

"Reid is still in his meeting, but as far as I know he's fine. That's not why I called," he replied. A slight smile graced his features at her concern. Gideon had certainly been right about her.

"Oh, okay, sorry. What can I do for you?" she asked, setting down her bag and thumbing through her pile of mail.

"I was actually hoping that you could come in and meet with me. I wanted to talk to you about something." Sarah furrowed her brow at that comment. What could he possibly have to talk to her about?

"I can do that, but I just got to my apartment, which is a good hour away from the BAU. Can we meet in about an hour and a half?" she asked, deciding not to press the issue over the phone.

"That's fine. I'll see you when you get here." Sarah bid him goodbye and hung up. Well, what was that about? She didn't have any real time to think it over so she headed to her bedroom to change and pack a new bag, just in case. Reid and her hadn't really discussed what they were going to do now that he didn't need "supervision." Grabbing her stuff, she headed out the door and to the BAU.

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	15. The Meetings

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter 15: The Meetings

By Ann Parker

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Confucius once said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

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When she reached the office, Hotch immediately ushered her into his office, receiving a few glances from the rest of the team. She was now grateful she used her better judgment and changed into her business attire because this didn't feel like a personal visit. She almost felt like she was being called into the principal's office. After they were seated with the door closed, mind you, she decided to start the conversation by asking the obvious. "So what can I do for you Agent Hotchner?"

"I received your job application to the bureau yesterday," he stated, picking up the file. "Very impressive, I must say."

Sarah smiled slightly, "thank you." So this was indeed a professional meeting.

"You also passed your psych eval and I was very impressed by your imput on the last case. Although your name was flagged in a case file, it wasn't anything that would hurt your position to the BAU," he finished. She blinked a few times, trying to sink this in.

"Wait…did you just offer me a job?" she asked, stunned. She hadn't expected this at all. Sure, she applied, but she figured she'd have to make her way up the bureau before even being considered for the BAU.

Hotch smiled, "Yes I did. Now, since you are fresh out of college with limited experience, you'll have to go through some training before going out in the field. Also, you would be taking your lead from the others, probably starting out by helping JJ communicate with local authorities about new cases and perhaps help develop the profiles. You wouldn't be allowed to participate in any questioning or help apprehend anyone for a while. Is that okay with you?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

"Great. You can start next week with your field qualifications. Any questions?" Hotch watched as Sarah hesitated for a moment before speaking. He had a pretty good idea what she as going to ask.

"Just one. Spencer, I mean, Agent Reid and –" Hotch lifted his hand to cut her off.

"What you and Reid do off the clock is none of my business. All I ask is that you behave professionally at the office and particularly when we're on location." He saw a smile creep across her face and couldn't help but smile back. It was about time Reid had a social life.

"Of course. Thank you for this opportunity, Agent Hotchner," she replied.

"Please, call me Hotch," he replied, standing up and heading to the door. She rose to follow him. "Gideon should be almost done with his talk with Reid and then I'm going to call a staff meeting so why don't you just head to the conference room." Sarah nodded as he opened the door. "Welcome aboard, Agent Riverson." He offered his hand to her, which she quickly shook.

"Thank you." They parted ways and she headed into the conference room, silently smiling at the confused looks on the faces of the others.

"Guys, we're having a meeting in the conference room in about five minutes," Hotch told them. "Morgan, make sure you get Garcia to join us too." Morgan nodded in acknowledgement. After Hotch went back to his office, Morgan, JJ, and Emily just looked at each other.

"What was that about?" asked Emily.

"If I had to guess, Reid is coming back," commented Morgan. The others nodded and waited for the meeting.

_Meanwhile, back in Gideon's office…_

Reid had entered Gideon's office shortly after Sarah had arrived. He had just finished his lovely conversation with the bureau's shrink and meet with the board to see if he was cleared to go back into the field.

"Hey Gideon," he greeted, plopping down in the chair in front of Gideon's desk with a sigh.

"I take it that was exhausting," Gideon replied based off of the younger man's entrance. Reid just nodded. "Well, we should know their decision pretty quickly."

"That's good," Reid acknowledged. At least he wasn't going to have to wait around forever to see if he could rejoin the team in the field.

"In the meantime, how are things going with Sarah?" Gideon asked, knowing he could get Reid to talk about that subject. Reid's face immediately lit up at the mention of her name. His demeanor had certainly taken a 180° turn from a little over a week ago.

"Good. Great. Perfect. I don't think there's a word in the dictionary to quite describe it," Reid smiled, running his hand through his hair. Gideon chuckled. If there were a word, Reid would know it.

"Glad to hear it. She's a great girl and I have a feeling we all might be getting the chance to see her a great deal more," Gideon replied, trying to be a little cryptic. He knew it would intrigue the younger man. Reid raised an eyebrow at that comment. What was that supposed to mean exactly? He was just about to open his mouth when Gideon's phone rang. Gideon quickly answered it, turning away from Reid slightly. It couldn't be the board already, could it? "Thank you." Reid looked at the older man, his mentor, as he hung up the phone. "Well, that was the board."

"I'm stuck in the office with Garcia, aren't I?" Reid almost stated instead of asking.

"Actually, they saw no reason why you shouldn't be able to return to the field," Gideon replied with a smile.

"Really?" Reid grinned. Gideon stood up and patted Reid on the shoulder.

"I guess my hunch about her was right," he said. Reid nodded, still smiling. "Come on, let's go tell the team." Reid followed Gideon out the door. They found Hotch leaning on the railing by the conference room and he nodded for them follow him. Briefly Hotch and Gideon made eye contact, exchanging a silent message to each other. When Reid reached the conference room he found the team all seated, waiting for them. Then he saw her. She smiled sweetly at him and patted the chair next to her. Grinning, he quickly took his seat next to her. He had no idea why she was there, but he didn't really care at this moment. He was about to ask her when Morgan spoke up now that they were all seated.

"So, what's the deal? Do we have a new case?" he asked.

"No," replied Hotch. "I called this meeting because I have some news to share with all of you. First off, we just received word that Reid is cleared to go back in the field." Cheers of jubilation were heard from the whole group and they congratulated the young man. Sarah for her part, fought the urge to hug him tightly when she heard, now trying to remain professional. Instead she took hold of his hand below the table and squeezed it, sending him a smile.

"So is that why Sarah was invited?" asked Garcia.

"Partly," stated Hotch. "She also here on a professional level now. I'd like to introduce you to our new team member, Special Agent Sarah Riverson." Hotch, Gideon, and Sarah watched as everyone's jaw dropped open, particularly Reid's.

"Wow, that's great!" stated JJ. Similar sentiments were sent from the rest of the team and Sarah thanked them. Reid, however, remained silent, unsure how to interpret this information. He was thrilled for her, knowing this is what she wanted to do. But where did that leave them? Could they still be together now that they were working together? Good thing Sarah looked into his eyes and could read what he thinking.

"Relax, Spencer, nothing has to change," she said. "It's been cleared already," she added, gesturing to Hotch. Reid looked over at his superior.

"Yeah, it's fine Reid. Just as long as I don't find you two sleeping together in this room again," Hotch stated, receiving laughter the rest and putting Reid at ease. He turned to Sarah and smiled, squeezing the hand he was still holding.

"Welcome to the BAU, Agent Riverson," he stated, lifting her hand and gently kissing it. Sarah grinned and pulled her hand away.

"Why thank you Doctor Reid," she replied, tapping his nose with her finger.

"Okay, this is officially getting too mushy for me," commented Morgan. Garcia smacked him in the arm. "Hey!" The group laughed.

"That's all guys," Hotch stated, giving Morgan and excuse to leave if he wanted. Everyone stood up from their chairs, making their way to congratulate the pair. Gideon walked over to Sarah and gave her a hug.

"Congrats," he whispered in her ear.

"Thanks, Jason," she replied and they separated. He patted Reid on the shoulder, smiling at the man he considered a son. Reid nodded back at him, an exchange of words not needed between them.

"I think we need to go out and celebrate this, don't you?" asked Garcia. The others nodded and plans were made for the evening before everyone headed back to work, excluding Sarah, who followed them to their desks.

"I'll meet you guys there," she said, getting ready to leave the bullpen. She was currently sitting on the edge of Reid's desk. "I need to see if I can find a new apartment."

"Why can't you just continue shacking up with Reid?" asked Morgan with a smirk. A slight tint of pink could be seen on Reid's face, causing the girls to giggle a little. Sarah smiled and looked at Reid.

"That is tempting, but I think it's a little early for that to be a permanent solution," she replied. Taping his nose, something that was quickly becoming a habit for her, she stood up. "See you tonight." Reid nodded, ignoring the smirks on everyone else's faces, and watched her leave. He might never get any work done with her here, not that he minded one bit.

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	16. Have a Little Faith in Me

**Reid's Miracle**

Chapter 16: Have a little Faith in Me

By Ann Parker

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"You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world." – David Levesque

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She was late. Gideon and Reid had both already called her and she had to assure them she was fine, just stuck in traffic. She had had incredible luck when she left the BAU and had found a new apartment a few blocks from Reid's. She just had to wait for her lease to run out at the end of the month. It was weird how everything seemed to be falling into place for her. Getting her dream job just out of college, finding a new apartment with only one day of searching--something that was a bit of a miracle--and then there was Spencer. She now knew why Jason had called her to help. Even without their similar pasts, they probably would have hit it off. Finally reaching the little bar that Jason had picked out, she got out of her car and quickly made her way inside.

"Sarah! Over here!" Sarah spotted the source of the voice, JJ, and made her way to the team.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I'm not quite used to the increase of traffic here," she stated and the others nodded. Reid took her coat and they quickly settled back into their conversation. No one noticed how Gideon smiled to himself, amazed at just how well she fit in to the group already. She even made Emily come out of her shell a little bit. He was pulled back into the conversation when Reid was being teased again.

"Sarah, I almost forgot to tell you," started Morgan. "Don't let Reid teach you how to use your firearm."

"Hey! I've gotten better at that, thank you," countered Reid. Hotch and Reid exchanged a slight glance.

"Morgan you need to stop teasing Spencer," Sarah stated with a smirk. "You're just jealous because he always beats you at cards." This earned laughter from the rest.

"Yeah, it must anger you that she can beat you easily too," commented JJ. Morgan simply shook his head, taking another sip of his beer.

"So Gideon, interesting place you picked here," he stated, trying to get the conversation off of him. "What made you choose it?" Before Gideon could reply, the owner announced that the karaoke could now start.

"That's why," Sarah answered for the older man and then glared at him. "Jason Gideon, you are unbelievably sneaky."

Gideon smiled, "What? I thought the group might like to hear you sing."

"You sing?" asked Emily. Sarah sighed, embarrassed.

"Like an angel," replied Gideon.

"I'm not even sure what I would sing," she countered. This was quickly becoming a two-way conversation as the others just watched.

"Use what you told Reid that first day in the hospital as inspiration," he offered. Sarah looked at Gideon, thinking for a moment before it dawned on her.

"Fine," she replied with a slight smile. She stood up and headed to the stage.

"What was it that she said?" Reid asked.

Gideon simply smiled, "You'll see." The music started and Reid looked up, locking eye contact with Sarah.

_When the road gets dark_

_And you can no longer see_

_Let my love throw a spark_

_And have a little faith in me_

_When the tears you cry_

_Are all you can believe_

_Just give these loving arms a try baby_

_And have a little faith, faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith, faith in me_

He could see the emotions of the song reflecting in her eyes and he remembered those kind words back in the hospital. Funny, without even trying he had had faith in everything she said, did. He still did. She was the light he had needed in his life for so long.

_When your secret heart_

_Cannot speak so easily_

_Come here baby_

_From a whisper start_

_To have a little faith in me_

_And when your backs against the wall_

_Just turn around and you, you will see_

_I will catch your, I will catch your fall_

_Just have a little faith, faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith, faith in me_

He believed every word of the song. It was like it had been written for them. He just knew that she would always be there for him and he would be there for her. She…she was the miracle that walked into his life.

_I've been loving you for such a long, long time_

_Expecting nothing in return_

_Just for you to have a little faith in me_

_You see time, time is our friend_

_Cause for us there is no end_

_All you gotta do is have a little faith in me_

_I will hold you up, I will hold you up_

_And your love gives me strength enough_

_To have a little faith in me_

_Have a little faith in me_

_Faith…_

Love. That's what this was. Something he thought he might never have was on that stage in front of him. He saw her slightly bow at the roar from the bar, including his table, and walk off the stage. He hardly made out the team commenting on her beautiful voice, rising from his seat to meet her half way. When he reached her his said nothing, but simply wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. When they separated he rested his forehead against hers, just like their first kiss, and looked into her eyes. Her beautiful eyes that helped him through all his pain. They would go with him wherever he went. He couldn't see his life without her in it anymore, his feelings running too deep.

"Sarah, I think I might be in love with you," he whispered.

Sarah smiled back up at him, "I think I might be in love with you too." They kissed once more, letting the kiss say their emotions for them. When they separated, he pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you for saving my life," he whispered into her ear. Sarah pulled back and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Thanks for saving mine." She kissed him softly once more before they heard Morgan whistling at them. Laughing, they pulled apart. "He's going to have fun with this," she said with a grin.

"I think we can handle him, don't you?" countered Reid. Sarah nodded with a slight laugh. As they were making their way back to the group, the others heard Gideon speak.

"I had wondered if we were going to be able to recover from what happened to Reid," he started. "But I think things are actually going to be okay."

"Here, here," stated Hotch, raising his glass. At this point Reid and Sarah had joined them and the group clanked their glasses together.

"What are we toasting?" Reid asked.

"The future," Gideon answered. Everyone was silent for a moment, letting good thoughts about what was to come wash over them. As long as they had a little faith, things were going to turn out just fine.

**The End**

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Thanks for all the kind reviews! They mean the world to me. I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. There's a possibility I'll write a sequel if there is enough enthusiasm for it, but it probably won't be for a while. I should probably get back to focusing on my schoolwork for a little bit. Anyway, thanks for reading! Ann Parker


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